मामारोप्य च तां धीरश्चलितो मद्गृहं प्रति । स पांथस्ते च शिबिकावाहाः संप्रति भक्षिताः
'He, steadfast, set me upon it and set out toward my house; that traveler and the palanquin-bearers have now been devoured.'
त्वया जलमिदं यस्य तीर्थस्यापि च तच्छृणु । इंद्रस्य खांडववने यमुनास्ति सरिद्वरा
'By you, this water—listen, of which sacred ford it is: in Indra’s Khāṇḍava forest, there is the excellent river Yamunā.'
तत्तीरेऽस्ति हरिप्रस्थं तीर्थं तीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम् । सुराचार्यस्य तत्रास्ति तीर्थं सर्वार्थसाधकम्
'On its bank is Hariprastha, the most excellent of holy places; there is the sacred ford of the teacher of the gods, which accomplishes all aims.'
निगमोद्बोधकं जाता स्मृतिस्ते यज्जलाशनात् । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽहंमिह त्वया
'By drinking that water, your memory arose, awakening the Vedas; all this I have told you, as you asked me here.'
पृच्छामि त्वामहं किंचित्तद्वदाशु निशाचर । पूर्वजन्मकृतं कर्म स्मरसि त्वमिहाधुना । वद किं ते कृतं पापं येन जातोऽसि राक्षसः
'Now I ask you something—tell me quickly, O night-wanderer: do you now remember the deeds done in your former birth? Tell me, what sin did you commit that you were born as a Rākṣasa?'
राक्षस उवाच- पुराहमभवं विप्रः पुण्ये वेदविदां कुले । दुराचारो ह्यधर्मात्मा शृणु सर्वं वदामि ते
The Rākṣasa said: 'Formerly I was a brāhmaṇa, born in a virtuous family of Veda-knowers; but I was of evil conduct and unrighteous—listen, I will tell you everything.'
क्रीडता हि मया नित्यं द्यूतेन सह तद्विदैः । हारितं द्रविणं भूरि स्वकीयं पितुरेव च
'I always played at dice with those skilled in it; much wealth of my own and even my father’s was lost by me.'
पित्रा निवेद्य भूपाय मामकं कर्म तज्जनैः । पुरान्निःसारितो निःस्वो गतोऽहं ग्राममंतिके
'My father reported my deeds to the king through those people; I was expelled from the city, penniless, and went to the outskirts of the village.'
तत्रासीन्मे सखा नाम देवको ब्राह्मणोत्तमः । तेनाऽहं रक्षितो गेहे कुर्वता चिरमादरम्
'There I had a friend named Devaka, an excellent brāhmaṇa; he protected me in his house, showing me great kindness for a long time.'
वस्तुं तत्र सुखेनाहं तद्भार्यां रूपशालिनीम् । कामातुरोऽहमभजं बलान्मित्रे गते क्वचित्
'Living there happily, I, overcome by desire, violated his beautiful wife by force when my friend was away.'
सा मृता तत्क्षणात्साध्वी भक्षयित्वा महाविषम् । तां दृष्ट्वा तमसायुक्ते निशीथेऽहं पलायितः
That virtuous woman died instantly after consuming deadly poison; seeing her in the darkness at midnight, I fled.
पलायमानस्तरसा धृतोऽहं राजकिंकरैः । चौरोऽयमिति खङ्गेन चिच्छिदुस्ते शिरो मम
As I was fleeing in haste, I was seized by the king’s servants; thinking me a thief, they struck off my head with a sword.
मृतं मां यातनादेहमावेश्य यमकिंकराः । रौरवे निरयघोरे चिक्षिपुर्यमशासनात्
When I died, the servants of Yama placed me in a body of torment; by Yama’s command, they cast me into the dreadful hell called Raurava.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि तत्राऽहं तीव्रयातनाम् । भुक्त्वा तेनैव पापेन राक्षसत्वमुपागतः
There, for six thousand years, I endured intense suffering; because of that very sin, I was born as a rakshasa.
शतवर्षाण्यतीतानि राक्षसत्वे विशांपते । वदामि तमुपायं मे येनास्मान्मुक्तिमाप्नुयाम्
A hundred years have now passed in this rakshasa state, O lord of men; I will tell you the means by which I might obtain liberation from this.
पुण्यं तदर्पिते साधो वदामि शृणु सादरम् । येन तीर्थवरस्येदं जलं मम मुखे गतम्
O virtuous one, I will tell you with respect the meritorious act by which the water of this supreme pilgrimage has entered my mouth.
तत्रैव जन्मनि मया कृत्वा हरिदिने व्रतम् । संसर्गान्नेच्छया वैश्य रात्रौ जागरणं कृतम्
In that very birth, on a day sacred to Hari, I performed a vow; through association, though unwillingly, I kept vigil at night with a merchant.
द्वादश्यामथ संस्नात्वा भोक्तुंमपि समुद्यते । मद्गृहे कश्चिदायातो वैष्णवो विष्णुरूपधृक्
Then, on the twelfth day, after bathing, I was preparing to eat; at my house, a certain Vaishnava arrived, bearing the form of Vishnu.
कुपितोऽहं तमालोक्य दुर्वचो वदमग्रतः । क्व गच्छसि दुराचार दांभिकस्त्रीजनांतरे
Angered upon seeing him, I spoke harsh words before him: 'Where are you going, you wicked, hypocritical man, among the women?'
इत्युक्तं स मया धीरस्तुल्यो मानापमानयोः । तूष्णीमेव निकेतान्मे निर्गत्य चलितो यदा
Thus addressed by me, that steadfast one, equal in honor and dishonor, silently left my house and departed.
तदाभिमुखमायांती पत्नी मम पतिव्रता । पतित्वा पादयोस्तस्य तं साधुं गृहमानयत्
Then my devoted wife, approaching him, fell at his feet and brought that holy man into our home.
मयापमानितस्यापि न क्रोधोऽभून्महात्मनः । तयादृतस्याप्यानंदो यतः सोरि सुहृत्समः
Though I had insulted him, that great soul felt no anger; because of her reverence, he was as joyful as if among friends.
तमर्चयित्वा विधिवद्विष्टरे चोपवेश्य सा । भोज्यं भोजय जीवेश जयताद्भुवनत्रयम्
She worshipped him properly, seated him on a seat, and said: 'O lord of life, who conquers the three worlds, partake of this food.'
इत्युक्तोऽहं तया साध्व्या न्यगदं तं महाशयम् । म्लानवक्त्रः प्रसन्नास्यमुत्तिष्ठ शमय क्षुधाम्
Thus addressed by that virtuous woman, I humbly spoke to that great soul, my face downcast, while hers was bright: 'Arise, relieve your hunger.'
इत्युक्त्वा तस्य चरणौ नोदितस्तनुमध्यमा । प्राक्षालयं पुनस्तं तु निवेश्यासनमुत्तमम्
Having said this, that slender-waisted woman herself washed his feet, seated him again on the best seat.
अददां पात्रमन्नेन पूर्णं तस्मै विवेकिने । जलं च तत्करे साध्व्या प्रेरितोऽहं तया मुहुः
I gave him a vessel filled with food, to that wise one; and, urged repeatedly by her, I offered him water.
उपभुज्य स धर्मात्मा स्वैरं विगतविक्रियः । हरेराम हरेकृष्ण जपन्निति जगाम ह
Having eaten, that righteous soul, undisturbed and at ease, departed, chanting 'Hare Rama, Hare Krishna.'
कृतं पुण्यमिदं वैश्य नोदितेन मया स्त्रिया । पूर्वजन्मनि येनेदं प्रापितं तीर्थवारि मे
This merit was accomplished by me, O merchant, not by my own doing but by that woman; by which, in this birth, I have obtained the water of the holy place.
शिवशर्मोवाच- विष्णुशर्मन्निदं वाक्यमुक्त्वा तिष्ठति राक्षसे । पथिकः स च ते वाहाः प्राहुः खे दिव्यदेहिनः
Śivaśarman said: Viṣṇuśarman, after speaking these words, stood before the demon; and those travelers, your former bearers, spoke to you from the sky, now in divine bodies.
पथिकवाहा ऊचुः भो भो विशांपते साधो प्राप्ता अप्यपमृत्युताम् । त्वत्प्रसादादिदं वारि पीत्वा देवत्वमागताः
The travelers said: O lord of men, O noble one, though we had met with untimely death, by your grace, after drinking this water, we have attained divinity.